In the unofficial "part-one" to this series, I explained how potentially catastrophic it would be for offenses around the NFL if Houston Texans Pro Bowl safety Calen Bullock were to get snubbed from the NFL' Top-100 players list. Specifically, I stated that a glaring omission such as that could help ignite the flame on an All-Pro "I'll show you" campaign in 2026 from the former USC Trojan.
To do so, I project that in would include Bullock having to eclipse a Texans record that was set way back in 2003 by an "Original Houston Texan" in former cornerback Marcus Coleman.
With that said, we'll first focus in on how Bullock's 2025-2026 stats matched up with that of this year's NFL Second-Team award winners in fellow safeties Jessie Bates III (Atlanta Falcons), Talanoa Hufanga (Denver Broncos) and Xavier McKinney (Green Bay Packers). Then, we'll map out what Bullock must do in various categories to best cement his place amongst the league's upper echelon of defensive backs throughout next season.
Calen Bullock against the 2025-2026 All-Pro field
Here's how Bullock performed compared to the aforementioned Second-Team All-Pro's from last season:
Calen Bullock: (Pro Bowl Alternate)
- 17 GP
- 64 total tackles
- 1 forced fumble
- 4 INT's
- 10 PD's
- 69.3 PFF grade (29/98)
Jessie Bates III: (2nd-Team All Pro)
- 17 GP
- 98 total tackles
- 1 forced fumble
- 3 INT's (incl. 1 pick-six)
- 6 PD's
- 64.5 PFF grade (47/98)
Talanoa Hufanga: (2nd-Team All Pro)
- 17 GP
- 106 total tackles
- 2 sacks
- 1 forced fumble
- 11 PD's
- 72 PFF grade (20/98)
Xavier McKinney: (2nd-Team All Pro)
- 16 GP
- 107 total tackles
- 1 sack
- 1 forced fumble
- 2 INT's
- 10 PD's
- 81.2 PFF grade (8/98)
Instant analysis:
- Everyone listed played in virtually every game
- Bates III, Hufanga and McKinney all had at least 90 or more tackles on the season, while Bullock came in last by 34.
- Bullock's four interceptions where more than everyone All-Pro mentioned (even though Bates III was the only one with a pick-six.)
- Hufanga, McKinney and Bullock all had double-digit passes defended, while Bates III was last by four.
- Hufanaga and McKinney both had at least one sack each
- Everyone had at least one forced fumble
- Hufanga had no takeaways, but the second-highest PFF grade at 72
- McKinney finished with the highest PFF grade of the four at 81.2
All things considered, Bullock seemingly fell victim to leaning on his strengths (and the defensive scheme) as more of a "cover-safety", as opposed to leaning more "box-safety". Meaning, because he's more equipped, and rightfully utilized I might add, to be an eraser on the backend of a strong defensive front, he's not going to be called upon to clean up ball carriers near the line of scrimmage or in the intermediate area. Conversely, players like Bates III, Hufanga and McKinney find themselves deployed in different defensive methodologies.
Now, if Bullock were to legitimately shoot for an All-Pro bid in 2026, he'd have to put up stronger performances in almost every aspect of his position, with high emphasis on the takeaways department.
Tackling needs to improve
While Bullock's tackling numbers aren't his calling card, it's still a stat that looks great on paper for defensive backs. Last season, Bullock is credited for having missed six tackles (according to PFF), which would've taken him into the 70's range if they were converted. I think that would be a great area for Bullock to land in an All-Pro year, about 70-75.
Shatter the Texans' single-season interceptions record
To pay off the tease laid out earlier in this piece, Bullock could give himself an iron-clad case at an All-Pro selection if he were to break the franchise's all-time single-season interceptions record set by former Texans defensive back Marcus Coleman in the 2003 season. That year, he snagged seven, which has still not even been tied 23 years later. If Bullock were to truly go nuclear and grab seven-eight of his own this season, that would both make his place among the league's place undeniable, and etch his name into franchise lore at the same time.
Finish pick-sixes in 2026
Last year, Bullock nearly had a pick-six in Houston's week 12 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, defensive end Derek Barnett was called for a blindside block penalty during the play, which nullified the score. Had it stood, Bullock and Bates III would've been tied at one a piece. If the first-time Pro Bowler wants to elevate to All-Pro status quicker, he has to convert those opportunities to points whenever he finds himself in open field. Yet, he did take an Aaron Rodgers pass to the house in the Texans' 30-6 beatdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wildcard round.
More PBU's could help the voting process
The fact that Bullock had three teammates in Kamari Lassiter (17), Derek Stingley Jr. (15) and Jalen Pitre (12) with a higher volume of passes defended each is quite the stat to see when splitting hairs for this award. While not totally a bad thing, Bullock would need to step it up a notch if he wanted to further legitimize his pathway toward being a more "complete" defensive back, as opposed to being perceived as just a gambling defender who only specializes in takeaways.
The verdict on Bullock
Look at the data, Bullock definitely has a great chance to contend for one of the top spots at the position during this upcoming season. He's already become a Pro Bowler (via alternate) by his second professional season, and he's shown flashes of being a field-flipper when quarterbacks mistakenly hurl footballs his way on any given play.
He just has to develop into more of a "complete" safety who understands situational defense just as much as "ball hawking opportunities". If he's able to make the proper adjustments heading into year three as a Texan, the team could see their already elite defense take yet another quantum leap with the addition of another All-Pro to the squad.
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